Lighting Seasons

CONTROLLING YOUR SEASONS

In nature, plants of all kinds have their own seasons. The
cycle of seasons is the clock plants use to sprout, bloom, produce fruits, and
move into dormancy, or the end of their life cycle.

All of this is triggered by changes throughout the year in
several areas. The indoor and hydroponic gardener can simulate many of these
changes to produce artificial seasons and fool plants into coming to maturity
outside the normal seasons.

THE SEASONS

** Length of Day - Much of the cycle of plant life is
determined by the length of the day, with vigorous growth occurring during the
lengthening days of the spring, and continuing into the long periods of
daylight in the summer. Then, as the days shorten and fall days begin, plants
shift into flowering and fruiting mode. Finally, wintertime brings dormancy or
death to most plants. Its a built-in clock in every plant. Different plants run
on different schedules, but its all tied to the length of daylight hours.
Indoor and hydroponic gardeners can use timers to supply any amount of light on
any schedule that is needed to produce the desired results. This allows the
creation of artificial seasons that can help produce plant maturity whenever
desired.

** Temperature - Temperature changes throughout the year also
influence the cycle of life for plants. As the soil warms in the springtime,
seeds sprout and begin to grow. Increasing warmth encourages lush growth of
foliage and stems. As temperatures diminish in the fall, plants shift their
energy to produce fruits and seeds. For many deciduous plants and bulbs, cold
winter days are also needed to trigger the cycle each year. By controlling
temperatures in an indoor growing environment, hydroponic and indoor gardeners
can simulate the temperatures of any season indoors. Since grow lights usually
produce more heat than is needed, altering the amount of ventilation used to
remove excess heat can adjust plant response.

** Water - Spring and summer rains are crucial for supplying
the water plants need for vigorous growth. Typically in most areas, rains
diminish toward the end of summer, prompting plants to use their stored energy
to produce fruit and seeds in anticipation of the end of the growing season. As
with lighting, hydroponic gardeners can use timers and other tools to control
the delivery of water and nutrients to their plants. Some plants require being
stressed by a shortage of water before shifting into maturity and fruiting.

** Light Quality - The spectrum of light available to plants
changes throughout the year, too. When the sun is high in the sky, more of the
blue part of the spectrum helps plants produce lush foliage to maximize
photosynthesis and growth. As summer ends and the sun is lower in the sky, the
light shifts to the red end of the spectrum, triggering maturity and seed and
fruit production. One of the easiest things for the hydroponic and indoor
gardener to change is the spectrum of lighting being used. Switching HID
lighting from Metal Halide to High Pressure Sodium bulbs can easily simulate
the change of light spectrum as the seasons change.